The General Store and Ella’s House are two beautiful holiday homes located in Gladysdale, just 70 kilometres east of Melbourne, and a short drive from Warburton and Healesville, in the beautiful Yarra Valley of Victoria.
The General Store and Ella’s House are separate residences and offer privacy and solitude. Both homes are recently refurbished and offer an eclectic mix of retro fit and modern convenience. You may also book both The General Store and Ella’s House together, which means the property is ideal for family reunions or wedding receptions, and groups just wanting to get back to nature.
The 5 acre property backs onto the Little Yarra River and has easy access to many wonderful walking tracks. It is home to an abundance of native animals and birds and is a terrific base from which you can explore the many activities on offer in the Yarra Valley. You will find many wonderful secluded outdoor and BBQ areas amongst our lovely gardens and may even swim in your own private river.
The General Store and Ella’s House are ideal destinations for your next holiday visit to the Yarra Valley.
Weddings are most welcome in our beautiful gardens. Pets are also welcome.
the story of ELONERA:
The delightful Elonera is a significant part of the history of Gladysdale, a township located on the Little Yarra River and just 6 kilometres from the Yarra River Junction. Two historic buildings, the General Store and Ella’s House, form Elonera.
Originally the ‘Pioneer General Store’ was located on Hazeldene Road, Gladysdale, opposite the railway line which serviced Powelltown. The General Store was moved to its current location on Little Yarra Road around the time of World War II, after the closure of the railway. Gordon Wallace, the proprietor, ran the General Store by the motto ‘Remember, your money buys more at a Pioneer Store’.
In 1967 ‘Ella’s House’ was purchased by sisters Ella and Leone James, both primary school teachers, as a holiday hideaway from their busy lives in Coburg, Melbourne.
When the General Store (next to Ella’s House but no longer trading) came up for sale in the early 1970s, the sisters took the opportunity to purchase the building, and they together relocated permanently to the Yarra Valley.
The sisters then embarked on a journey of creation, transforming the once bare land into a beautiful and exciting landscape of native and exotic plants, which also encouraged an abundance of local wildlife into the garden. Rich in flora and fauna, Elonera still attracts many species of native animals and birds to its succulent gardens and surrounds.
In 2011, Elonera passed to current owners David and Jodi Dyball. Together they are bringing the history and beauty of Elonera back to life, restoring the heritage gardens to their former splendour, and revitalising the vision the James sisters once had for their beloved Elonera.
David and Jodi are delighted to welcome visitors to share in the rich history of the property and enjoy its tranquil setting on the edge of the Yarra State Forest.
- Category:
- Local business